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Dick Smith Oration

On the 26th April 2018, Dick Smith spoke in Wagga NSW about the challenges facing #aviation.

In the talk, which is below for an almost 20-minute listen, calls for substantial changes to the Civil Aviation Act [CAAct], which will immediately benefit the direction of #aviation and #saveGA.

Further Dick calls for the introduction of the US-FAR’s which could be undertaken quickly and change #aviation into a dynamic powerhouse, given the benefits of Australia’s good weather in the Flying School space.

Claudia Farhart

CALLED OUT: Dick Smith held an open forum in Wagga on Thursday morning to ramp up pressure on the Turnbull government to reform the aviation industry. Picture: Les Smith

Iconic Australian businessman and aviation advocate Dick Smith visited Wagga on Thursday morning to call for an extensive overhaul to the country’s aviation industry.

Mr Smith called out the government for introducing regulation after regulation in the name of safety without considering the costs piling up on flight training schools.

“We’re here today because successive National Party ministers who have been responsible for transport and aviation have allowed the destruction of the general aviation industry in this country,” Mr Smith said.

“Every couple of months, more rules come out that add to costs and, if CASA has its way, it will send that (Wagga) Rex flight school into bankruptcy.”

Mr Smith said he was deeply concerned about the future of Australia’s aviation industry in light of the rising pressure on flight training schools.

“So we’re now in a position where Qantas and Virgin are demanding 457 visas to get pilots from overseas – that is outrageous – we’re now in a position where it’s only going to be the children of the very wealthy who are going to be able to learn to fly,” he said.

Mr Smith also called out new Minister for Infrastructure and Transport and Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack for failing to honour a bipartisan agreement to review aviation legislation.

“I’m calling on the new minister to go ahead with the Barnaby Joyce-Anthony Albanese agreement to change the act so it allows costs to be looked at – it’s just common sense,” he said.

“They were about to do it, it was bipartisan, then Barnaby Joyce resigned, and now you have a new minister who doesn’t support it.”

Mr McCormack, however, said he was not willing to rush change at the cost of safety.

“I’ve had a number of discussions with Dick Smith, and I appreciate that the industry wants to see changes made as soon as possible, but what I won’t do for anyone is rush policy change, especially when there might be safety implications,” Mr McCormack said.

“It’s all well and good to bind me to the Barnaby Joyce agreement, but the fact is Barnaby is not transport minister anymore and, while I appreciate that he had discussions with Anthony Albanese, I was not in on those discussions.”